PALM SPRINGS, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 10/05/09 -- Panasonic Avionics Corporation, the world leader in state-of-the-art in-flight entertainment and communication (IFEC) systems, today announced at the annual World Airline Entertainment Association (WAEA) conference it will mark its 30th anniversary.

Panasonic Avionics Corporation was founded in 1979 with a vision to enhance the quality of travel throughout the world. In January 1980, Panasonic Avionics signed its first contract to provide a Passenger Entertainment System/Passenger Service System for the Boeing 767. In October 2003, the company launched its X Series IFEC solution, eFX, as the first generation digital/Ethernet-based system. Panasonic Avionics is now on its third generation digital/Ethernet based system, eX2. Along the way, the company has been the first-to-market with many industry-leading innovations including:

--  Audio Video On Demand (AVOD) introduced (1997)
--  MPEG-2 video quality introduced (2000)
--  Integrated IFE Broadband Passenger Connectivity (2002)
--  Advertising and Integrated Shopping offered for in-flight
    entertainment (2004)
--  Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) compliant IFEC system
    (2006)
--  Closed Captioning offered for in-flight entertainment system (2007)
--  MPEG-4 video content introduced (2008)
--  In-flight voice and data services introduced (2008)
--  Global real-time content broadcast network TV introduced (2009)
    

Now headquartered in Lake Forest, California, the company has over 3,100 employees globally with offices in Bothell, Washington and regional centers in Dallas, Dubai, Hong Kong, London, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo, and Toulouse.

"With 30 years of hard work and dedication from our employees and long-standing relationships with many of the world's leading carriers, Panasonic Avionics Corporation has grown to become the world's leading supplier of in-flight entertainment and communications systems," said Yasu Enokido, President of Panasonic Avionics Corporation. "We look forward to the next 30 years of consistent product innovation and committed customer service."

"Every day we come to work with a sole purpose: to surprise and delight the millions and millions of passengers using Panasonic IFEC systems," said Paul Margis, Chief Executive Officer of Panasonic Avionics Corporation. "We're extremely proud of everything we've done, but we continue to believe that everything we do, all of the products we make, can be made even better for our customers and their passengers by pushing ourselves harder."

The past 30 years have been very successful but Panasonic remains highly focused on the next 30 years of innovation. The company recently embarked on its largest innovation exercise in many years, which yielded over 250 new ideas that will benefit passengers, crews and airline operations. For the passenger, the focus is how we plan travel, how we experience travel, and then how we share those experiences. For the crew, Panasonic also has ideas for efficiency, effectiveness and using technology to enable better interaction with passengers. For airline operations, Panasonic will provide tools that enable the most efficient operation of IFEC systems, never losing sight of the basics of safety, reliability, power, weight, and size.

About Panasonic Avionics Corporation

Panasonic Avionics Corporation is the world's leading supplier of in-flight entertainment and communication systems. The company's best-in-class solutions, supported by professional maintenance services, fully integrate with the cabin enabling airlines to deliver the ultimate travel experiences with a rich variety of entertainment choices, resulting in improved quality communication systems and solutions, reduced time-to-market and lower overall costs.

Established in 1979, Panasonic Avionics Corporation, a U.S. corporation, is a subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation (NYSE: PC). Headquartered in Lake Forest, California with over 3,100 employees and operations in 80 locations worldwide, it serves over 200 customers worldwide and provides IFEC systems on over 3,700 aircraft. For additional information, please visit www.panasonic.aero.

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